Bible Discussion Thread

When Paul talked about doing the things he didn't want to and not doing the things he wanted to

He said oh wretched man that I am. Who can set me free? Then thanked for Jesus, the one that can. I have prayed daily for this and ponder and wonder why i am still in bondage knowing it is not His will.

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Can we then resurrect that 'dead' sin nature? Does it even still exist? Sadly, until we get to Heaven, our sin nature will always remain in us, but the victory lies in how we deal with it & how we deal with Satan who appeals to that nature. Can we resurrect that nature? Every time we listen to Satan, we are resurrecting that nature. Every time we listen to God, we are keeping that nature 'in death' & living in the Spirit. And this was the struggle that was with Paul as he wanted to live in the Spirit, but Satan kept attacking him in his old nature.

So, Joan, the struggle will always continue while we're here on Earth, but Christ gives us the victory. What can you do? You have already pleaded with God for release from your bondage - God hears your cries. Has He put anything else on your heart? I don't know your story, but the Spirit of God is there for you to give it all to Him & to give you victory. If your mind is afflicted, then set your mind on wholesome, spiritual things that are found in God's Word. If it is a lust for something, then turn away from that temptation or remove it from your view altogether & turn to God in prayer & in His Word. When you resist Satan, he will flee ( James 4:7) because He knows that you are calling upon the Power of God against him. This is not just theoretical, but very practical as we stand against the wiles of the devil. Talk to the Lord often, wherever you are & in whatever you're doing & when Satan is near to tempt you, run to the Lord Who is listening for your call. And remember, your stand against the enemy can only be done in the Spirit's Power & not in your own strength.

Joan, Romans 7 is one of those very personal, intimate revelations Paul gave of his life: his battle between the spirit & the flesh. He could have easily avoided mentioning his struggle & given his readers the impression that he was a great follower of Christ, enjoying daily victory over every sin. But, being led of the Spirit, he had to confess that his apostleship, his meeting with Christ & even his vision of the glory of Heaven, were not enough to raise him to any greater position than we are at today. In fact, he said that he was "given a thorn in the flesh" ( 2 Cor 12:7) to keep him humble so those privileges wouldn't 'go to his head'.

So in Romans 7, Paul speaks of his battle in the spirit. He longed to please God in every area of his life, but evil (i.e. the working of the body of sin) was always present with him. And so he struggled, but he found that through all this, that only Jesus Christ could help & deliver him. How so? Two ways: by virtue of Christ's death, Paul & all who believe on Jesus, have their sins dealt with at the Cross. In other words, Satan can no more accuse us before God. And secondly, through Jesus alone, could Paul & us find victory over the flesh. Even though Satan will always niggle at us to make us sin, Christ gives us the power to withstand Satan & the appeals of the flesh. In fact, Paul speaks in Gal 2:20 that he is now crucified with Christ & in Rom 6:6, he tells us that our 'old man' (our old nature) was crucified at the Cross. And if that is the case, we are to reckon ourselves dead to sin & now alive to God through Jesus ( Rom 6:11). (onto Page 2.)